Secondary Camera For weddings

<p>Hi All,</p>

<p>I am looking into buying a secondary camera for shooting weddings. At the moment I use a Canon 5D MK II and am quite happy with it. I use it mostly with the 24-70mm F/2.8 L but I also like using it for closeups with the 70-200mm F2.8 L IS. I shoot mostly candid photos focusing a lot on expressions and details.</p>

<p>I currently use a Canon 350D as a secondary camera but for obvious reasons, I want to upgrade. I was originally considering buying a used 50D but recently I found myself looking into the 60D or possibly the 7D. Obviously, I would prefer to have another 5D MKII (or possibly wait for the MK III) but budget is an issue so I was looking into an inferior camera that can shoot videos too (not for weddings). My primary concern is the sensor size. I'm kind of addicted to the full frame feel of the 5D MK II. Do you guys think that keeping the 5DMK II for use with my 24-70 F2.8 L and a newer 1.6 crop factor camera for my longer lens for close ups would make sense? If Yes, the secondary camera would need to have good ISO response and decent noise levels at high ISOs. Most weddings in my country are in the evening and most of the shooting time is in low light.<br>

What are your views? Would you go for a 60D, 7D or wait for budget restrictions and go for another 5D MK II?<br>

for those of you who would like to have a peek at my work you can do so here www.toniolombardiweddings.com<br>

Regards,</p>

<p>Tonio</p>

<p>How about a used 5D Mki. In the UK they are going for a touch less than half the price of a new 5D Mkii.</p>

<p>Tonio....I also have the 5D II and use the 7D for backup, and sometimes for primary, along with both of your lenses. 7D video performance is better than the 5D II, but stills are obviously better on the 5D, and so is low light performance. But the 7D is not bad in low light...and it has superior auto focus with the 19 AF points vs the 5D's 9 points. And you will get more range using the 7D and the 70-200, and more candid shots. But be aware the 70-200 will produce better image quality on the 5D...but for most wedding photographers the difference is not a show stopper for the 7D.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>If it were me, I'd wait for the 5D III. In fact, that's what I'm doing. I actually like having the combo of cropped sensor and full frame, but based on what you said, it sounds like you'd rather have full frame only.</p>

<p>I shoot with a 5D MarkII with 24-70 and a 5D with 70-200, it's a very nice setup. The 7D looks like a really capable camera, and I sometimes use my 70-200 on my old 30D when I want some extra reach, so I don't think that a crop camera as a backup is a bad choice.</p>

<p>The question confuses me.<br />In the beginning you speak of the “<em><strong>secondary camera</strong></em>” (the 350D) as if it is the back up camera – i.e. it only sees the light of day if the 5DMkII goes down.<br />That is to say you use the 5DMkII with BOTH zoom lenses for the Wedding Coverage.</p>

<p>But in the middle of the question the replacement for the 350D takes on the role of <strong><em>the second working camera</em></strong>, viz: <em>“Do you guys think that keeping the 5DMK II for use with my 24-70 F2.8 L and a newer 1.6 crop factor camera for my longer lens for close ups would make sense?”</em><br /><em> </em><br />So, in answering that question:<br /><strong>NO</strong>, I think it would be silly buying an APS-C camera to use a second working camera with those two zooms.<br />Doing so, you effectively denude yourself of the FoV equivalent 71mm to 111mm – and if one is working a two zoom protocol that is a big gap to have for the gain of FoV 201mm to 320mm - which I would hardly ever use – YMMV.</p>

<p>***</p>

<p>Answering the general question, and in consideration of :<br /><em>“Most weddings in my country are in the <strong>evening and most of the shooting time is in low light</strong>” </em><br />I suggest that you are seriously and dangerously under-prepared with only the 350D as the <strong><em>back up</em></strong> camera: and in this regard I suggest buying a second hand 5D as an interim measure.</p>

<p>I understand the logic to wait for the 5DMkIII - but the fact remains with your present set up you could be cactus if the 5DmkII goes belly-up on the first shot at a Wedding.</p>

<p>A 5D would be a suitable replacement for the 350D and it would keep the integrity of the scope of the WA coverage and also good to very good low light performance – especially if “low light” means “shooting available light”.</p>

<p>WW</p>

<p>I'm almost in the same boat, 5Dmark ii, 24-70L and 70-200, and looking for a second body/backup. The first two weddings I shot, I kept changing lenses, not very convenient. <br>

I'd love to get the 60d because of the vari screen. It will give me shots that are not possible on a 5D or at least very difficult. (over head shots and very low angle shots where the camera is touching the ground). That is the only reason I would get a 60D, but then again, those two shots would require a wide angle lens and my 24-70 is not wide enough on a crop.<br>

Putting the 70-200 on the 60D wouldn't work either because I don't have the IS version. So at the long end on a crop I really doubt i'd be able to get a steady shot with out IS versus on 5D mark ii at a max of 200mm i can manage a few good shoots.<br>

Although I'd love to get a new 60d, i will get a used 5D for this season, sell it after the season is gone and then get a used 5D mark ii when the new mark iii comes along.</p>

<p>That's my 2 cents.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The real question is: Which camera would you be comfortable using if your 5D MK II were to drop or malfunction in the first 5 minutes of the day? This is the real test because you may have to photograph the entire wedding with this camera.<br>

That's my 2 cents.</p>

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<p>I would prefer to have another 5D MKII (or possibly wait for the MK III) but budget is an issue <strong>so I was looking into an inferior camera</strong> that can shoot videos too (not for weddings).</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Your mind is already made up...stretch your budget to get a 5DMkII <em>now</em> or wait for the 5DMkIII and pick up a 5DMkII when everyone with deep pockets switches to it and the price plummets.</p>

<p>RS</p>

<p>Original used 5D or the new 60D. I would probably get the 60d for its abilities with the higher ISO and the tilt screen (c'mon Nikon). And the crop will afford you some ability to "extend" what you can do with the same lens set. Just my $0.02cents.</p>